References to Other Media
This article contains spoilers for other titles. Any links to other wikis on this page will contain large spoilers for other titles. Read at your own risk. AI: The Somnium Files contains many small references to other media, particularly previous works of Kotaro Uchikoshi or Spike Chunsoft titles. References to previous Kotaro Uchikoshi Titles Ever17: The Out of Infinity Zero Escape ''Trilogy * Three different posters can be seen on the billboards at the exterior of the SAT building, which houses Sunfish Pocket. On the 2nd floor billboard, a poster for ''Nine Hours Nine Persons Nine Doors can be easily seen, while on the 5th floor billboards 2 posters for Zero Time Dilemma and The Nonary Games (999 and VLR bundled together) can be seen. * The sound effect that plays after manually saving the game in the Switch and PC versions is the same one used throughout the Zero Escape series. The PS4 version of the game uses the standard Playstation save system, and does not contain the sound effect. Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors ''(999) * The Mental Lock sound effect, played multiple times at the start of every Somnium, is the same sound effect which is played multiple times at the start of every escape room in ''999. * The name Alice or All-ice is a reference to a frozen mummy of the same name featured in 999. * In PSYNCIN' IN THE REFRaiN, the various doors used to travel across floors bear letters written in a red substance, stylized the same as the numbered doors in 999. Opening certain doors in the Somnium costs 999 seconds, and in some cases gives you a x999 TIMIE, another likely reference to 999. * Kaname Date's thoughts upon investigating the bookcase in Sagan Residence may be a reference to Junpei's thoughts upon examining a soap holder in a shower. Virtue's Last Reward (VLR) * One of the Lemniscate idols shown on the TV screen at their office is the same girl that appears in a poster found in one of the puzzle rooms, the Crew Quarters. * The announcement tone in Central Hospital is the same as used when an announcement is made inside Rhizome 9 during the "Nonary Game: Ambidex Edition" whenever an event occurs. The voice actor who makes these announcements may also be the same across both games. Zero Time Dilemma (ZTD) * Hitomi Sagan's outfit may be a reference to the outfit worn by Akane Kurashiki in Zero Time Dilemma. The similarities are acknowledged directly by Iris Sagan from a fan response on To-Witter.To-Witter Archives (Tesa): February 20th (2nd half) References to other Spike Chunsoft Titles Miscellaneous * According to the FILEs, the name of the maid cafe "Sunfish Pocket" is an anagram. The solution to the anagram is "Spike Chunsoft," the company who produced ''AI: The Somnium Files''. * In the chapter Day 4: Monday –syuurAI–, if you examine the "Volleyball" in Boss's Office in the investigation segment where Pewter is present, he'll mention that the act of spiking is an important aspect of Volleyball, followed by him saying, "Hm. Spiking...spike...spikechun?" The name "Spikechun" is a common abbreviation of "Spike Chunsoft," making it another reference to the development company. Banshee's Last Cry (Kamaitachi no Yoru) * In the chapter Day 2: Saturday –saikAI–, if you examine the "Skis" at Boss's Office, Boss will ask Date if he's heard of "the murder case at the resort called Spur." This is a direct reference to the series of murders that occurs at the ski lodge named "Spur" in Kamaitachi no Yoru (localized as "Snowflake Inn" in Banshee's Last Cry). Zanki Zero: Last Beginning * The clione that Mizuki keeps in the fridge could be a small allusion to the game Zanki Zero: Last Beginning, which had released a year prior to ''AI: The Somnium Files'' in Japan, and features enemies and abilities named "Clione''."'' Mizuki undoubtedly keeps the real-life sea slugs in the fridge rather than the creatures featured in Zanki Zero. Danganronpa ''series * In the chapter Day 2: Saturday –saikAI–, if you examine the "Panda Ride" at Bloom Park, Iris will remark, "A black and white bear... I'm not gonna be punished, am I?" This is a reference to the ''Danganronpa ''mascot (and villain) Monokuma, a black-and-white bear known to "punish" the various characters in the series, with his punishments almost always resulting in death. * In the chapter Day 4: Monday –syuurAI–, while driving your car with Iris on the passenger seat, if you examine the car's "Dashboard," Iris will say "Dangan" while Date replies "Ronpa," in reference to the series's title. ''Steins;Gate * Ota Matsushita's pen name, "Odoin Kyoma," is a reference to Steins;Gate's protagonist Rintaro Okabe's nickname for himself, "Hououin Kyoma." In the FILEs, it mentions that Ota came up with his pen name by taking the name of a popular fictional character and altering it. References to Other Japanese Media Video Games * In PSYNCIN' IN THE SWaiN, when selecting Break on the Wooden Box, Aiba performs three different kicks, which she names "Spinning Aiba Kick" (where she spins upside down and her legs spread apart), the "Amazing Aiba Kick" (where she somersaults into the box with her feet), and the "Tornado Aiba Sky Wing Kick" (where she descends on the ground, spinning, before giving the box a light kick and exploding): **The "Spinning Aiba Kick" is a reference to Chun-Li's "Spinning Bird Kick" from the Street Fighter ''series."Spinning Bird Kick" on the Street Fighter Wiki: https://streetfighter.fandom.com/wiki/Spinning_Bird_Kick **TBA **TBA * In PSYNCIN' IN THE CURTaiN, when Aiba drinks the green liquid in the pot and collapses, Date yells out "Aiba? Aiba! Aiiiiiiiiiiibbbaaaaaaa!!!" This is most likely a reference to the ''Metal Gear Solid series, in which, if the player character is killed, the Game Over screen will have a character's voice scream out the protagonist's name in the same fashion. * In PSYNCIN' IN THE CURTaiN, wearing the Pot on Aiba's head will have her comment on how it increases her defense, a reference to wearable armor in RPG games and their defense-boost capabilities. * In the chapter Day 4: Monday –syuurAI–, when speaking with Iris at the Lemniscate Entertainment Offices during Free Time investigation, when Date is trying to explain why he couldn't get a hold of her the previous day, Iris responds with "Objection!" while pointing with her arm. This is a reference to the game series Ace Attorney, where defense attorneys and prosecutors (including the protagonists) point at the opposing lawyer while shouting "Objection!" to counter their arguments, mostly with evidence. Anime & Manga Miscellaneous * In PSYNCIN' IN THE SWaiN, when selecting "Slide" on the Ice Floor, Date comments on how Aiba's skating is similar to Yuri Katsuki, as she finishes off her move by calling out "Eros!", and remarking that it would've been perfect if she wore a black bodysuit instead. This is a reference to the main character of Yuri on Ice, Yuri Katsuki, who performs in a black bodysuit, with his main performance piece embodying the emotion of Eros, or sexual desire. * In PSYNCIN' IN THE SWaiN, when selecting "Punch" on the B Plate, Aiba and Date perform a comedy routine. This comedy routine is based of a 4-koma short from the manga/anime Pop Team Epic, where the main characters Popuko and Pipimi perform the same routine. * In PSYNCIN' IN THE SWaiN, when Ota dodges the Polar Bear's attack in the A Branch, he states that, if this were "Another," he would be dead already. Another is the name of a popular novel-turned-manga/anime series, where various characters are victims to extremely gruesome deaths. * In PSYNCIN' IN THE SWaiN, when selecting "Throw Something" at the Power Board, Aiba will repeat the sentence "Position target in the center and hit the switch" in a low voice. This is a reference to Neon Genesis Evangelion, particularly Episode 3 of the series, "The Silent Phone," where, at the beginning of the episode, Shinji Ikari is running a training simulation on his Evangelion as he repeats the phrase to himself, taking aim at his target. * In PSYNCIN' IN THE SWaiN, when selecting Motivate on Ota, Aiba performs the "Gunbuster Pose" (also known as the Gainax Stance) when she motivates him to attack. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure * In the chapter Day 3: Sunday -gyoukAI-, when you examine the "Left Mask" in Boss's Office, she will say that spikes come out of the mask if you put it on and Date will say that it sounds familiar. What's more, in the chapter Three Months Later -kassAI -, Iris says that she wants to wear the mask and Date replies by saying that if she wears it and gets her blood on it, she will turn into a vampire. This is a reference to the Stone Mask in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, which can turn someone into a vampire if the person wears it and pours blood on it. Film * In the chapter Day 2: Saturday –saikAI–, if you examine the "CRT Monitor" in the Psync Room, Aiba will tell Date that "the girl from that horror movie" is coming out of a well in the monitor. This is a reference to Ring, a Japanese horror movie in which a cursed videotape shows a video of a girl crawling out a well, until the girl emerges from the screen to kill the victims. Television Tokusatsu Shows * Ota Matsushita wears a Rider Belt around his waist, which appears to be based around the Kamen Rider transformation belts, specifically the Double Typhoon, worn by Kamen Rider V3 in the Kamen Rider series. * Ota's Somnium, PSYNCIN' IN THE SWaiN, is stylized like a comic book panel come to life, and many of Ota's words and actions are inspired by Tokusatsu television shows, in particular Kamen Rider. The Kamen Rider quotes featured in this Somnium include: ** "The heavens call! The earth cries out! The crowd roars! All calling on me to strike back against evil!"—the battle catchphrase of Kamen Rider Stronger. ** "Those who don't fight won't survive!"—the catchphrase for the [https://kamenrider.fandom.com/wiki/Kamen_Rider_Ryuki Kamen Rider Ryuki series]. ** "Now, count up your sins!"—the battle catchphrase of Kamen Rider Double/Kamen Rider W. ** TBA * Another aspect of PSYNCIN' IN THE SWaiN that incorporates elements of Tokusatsu television shows is the size difference between Aiba and the gigantic costumed Polar Bear (and Ota). This is potentially a reference to kaiju television shows, where actors in costumes perform fight sequences on a small scale model of a city, to mimic the effect of giant monsters terrorizing the city. References to Western Media Miscellaneous * In PSYNCIN' IN THE CAPTaiN, the CD that Mizuki finds in the Audio Deck, titled "LUE 42, the answer to the ultimate question," is a reference to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a comedy science fiction series. In the series, certain characters search for "The Answer to the Ultimate Question of L'ife, The '''U'niverse, and 'E'verything," to which they eventually find out that the Answer is the number '''42. Film * TBA Television Shows * In the chapter Day 2: Saturday –saikAI–, if you examine the "Cushion" at Matsushita Diner, Aiba mentions that it reminds her of a "Funniest Props Compilation" video she saw, to which Date replies that she reached far back for that reference. This is a reference to the improvisational comedy TV show(s) Whose Line Is It Anyways? The original British TV series ran from 1988 to 1999, while the American TV series ran from 1998 to 2007, before being revitalized in 2013. One of the "games" played in these shows is "Props," in which the hosts play around with props and improvise jokes together. Searching for "funniest props compilations" results in numerous compilation videos on YouTube from the series, uploaded over the years. * In the chapter Day 2: Saturday –meikAI–, if you examine the "Locker" inside the Psync Room, Date asks Aiba what's inside it, to which she replies with "Sometimes, a cleaning lady is hiding inside." This is '''potentially 'a reference to The Jetsons, a cartoon family sitcom show where the robot housemaid, Rosie, lives inside a closet. Comic Books * In the chapter Day 2: Saturday –saikAI–, if you examine the "Control Room" at Bloom Park, Iris will jokingly ask if it is a phone booth. On a second click, she says, "But hey, if you sense any trouble, you can hop in and change!" This is a reference to the comic book character Superman, who would change from his Clark Kent persona into his superhero costume inside a phone booth. * In PSYNCIN' IN THE CURTaiN, when reading about Falco's past, Date compares him to Judge Dredd, a character from the comic book series ''2000 AD. In this series, Judge Dredd is a law enforcement officer who acts as a "Street Judge," arresting criminals and even executing them for their crimes. * In PSYNCIN' IN THE CURTaiN, when first examining the Pot, Aiba states that a ninja turtle could jump out of the green slime, and various choices make reference to the liquid smelling like a gutter. This is most likely a reference to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, in which 4 turtles, after interacting with some green radioactive material in the sewers, gained sentience and are trained in martial arts, becoming ninjas who live in the sewers. References Category:Universe